Written Answers Friday 8 December 2006

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many areas in Scotland are complying timeously with the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network’s national clinical guideline on the management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in primary care, with specific regard to section 4 on detoxification.

Lewis Macdonald: Information regarding the implementation of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) national clinical guideline on the management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in primary care is not held centrally.

  The Executive is currently exploring how we can best evaluate implementation, and support health boards in this process.

Child Mortality

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of child mortality has been in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority area.

George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table. To aid comparison, the table also gives an average rate for the period 1999-2005.

  Deaths Aged Under 16, by Council Area, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
1999-2005 Rate 1


 Scotland
 451
 457
 449
 432
 429
 411
 439
 45.7


 Aberdeen City
 12
 15
 12
 12
 19
 17
 14
 42.4


 Aberdeenshire
 25
 19
 21
 15
 16
 16
 14
 38.0


 Angus
 7
 8
 8
 8
 10
 9
 11
 42.7


 Argyll and Bute
 7
 12
 5
 5
 3
 5
 6
 36.7


 Clackmannanshire
 4
 4
 5
 2
 6
 6
 9
 52.4


 Dumfries and Galloway
 10
 9
 12
 12
 14
 6
 8
 37.2


 Dundee City
 13
 11
 22
 16
 16
 7
 17
 57.5


 East Ayrshire
 13
 11
 17
 11
 7
 8
 20
 52.9


 East Dunbartonshire
 6
 6
 8
 8
 4
 13
 3
 32.0


 East Lothian
 6
 9
 4
 7
 7
 5
 9
 36.1


 East Renfrewshire
 3
 9
 10
 6
 6
 8
 8
 37.7


 Edinburgh, City of
 46
 49
 31
 36
 31
 37
 26
 50.4


 Eilean Siar
 1
 -
 4
 2
 1
 1
 3
 34.7


 Falkirk
 17
 9
 20
 11
 11
 11
 17
 48.5


 Fife
 29
 18
 23
 43
 22
 39
 33
 43.7


 Glasgow City
 61
 73
 62
 64
 56
 71
 44
 59.1


 Highland
 18
 17
 14
 14
 15
 13
 17
 38.1


 Inverclyde
 8
 7
 10
 7
 11
 10
 10
 56.3


 Midlothian
 6
 8
 8
 5
 3
 7
 10
 40.7


 Moray
 10
 7
 10
 5
 8
 9
 7
 46.4


 North Ayrshire
 13
 13
 21
 10
 14
 5
 14
 47.8


 North Lanarkshire
 21
 43
 37
 27
 46
 31
 31
 51.7


 Orkney Islands
 2
 -
 1
 1
 1
 2
 1
 30.2


 Perth and Kinross
 12
 3
 9
 9
 10
 9
 10
 34.8


 Renfrewshire
 18
 15
 13
 24
 22
 12
 12
 50.3


 Scottish Borders
 7
 6
 4
 12
 10
 8
 7
 38.2


 Shetland Islands
 3
 -
 -
 -
 5
 4
 2
 42.1


 South Ayrshire
 7
 17
 12
 9
 8
 9
 13
 53.6


 South Lanarkshire
 33
 32
 16
 26
 16
 11
 20
 37.2


 Stirling
 5
 7
 8
 2
 7
 4
 3
 31.1


 West Dunbartonshire
 11
 9
 10
 12
 9
 15
 17
 65.3


 West Lothian
 17
 11
 12
 11
 15
 3
 23
 38.1



  Note: 1 Average annual rate per 100,000 population aged under 16.

Legislation

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Act 2004 were projected to be in the Estimate of Expense and Funding Statement accompanying the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the act came into force, in each category.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Edinburgh Tram (Line 2) Act 2006 were projected to be in the Estimate of Expense and Funding Statement accompanying the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) costs have been to date since the act came into force, in each category.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Edinburgh Tram (Line One) Act 2006 were projected to be in the Estimate of Expense and Funding Statement accompanying the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) costs have been to date since the act came into force, in each category.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 were projected to be in the Estimate of Expense and Funding Statement accompanying the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) costs have been to date since the act came into force, in each category.

Tavish Scott: The act followed a Private Bill. As such, a Financial Memorandum was neither required as part of the legislative process nor prepared. The Executive has no direct locus in the parliamentary procedures for Private Bills and does not hold the information requested.

Lone Parents

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many lone parent households there have been in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority area.

George Lyon: The following table shows the number of households containing one adult with children, according to the household estimates and projections made by the General Register Office for Scotland. This will exclude households where an adult with children lives with other adults.

  Number of Households Containing One Adult and One or More Children, 1999-2006

  

 Local Authority
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006


 Aberdeen City
 6,270
 6,350
 6,420
 6,470
 6,520
 6,570
 6,620
 6,630


 Aberdeenshire
 3,410
 3,520
 3,610
 3,720
 3,840
 3,990
 4,150
 4,270


 Angus
 2,360
 2,420
 2,480
 2,540
 2,590
 2,660
 2,740
 2,800


 Argyll and Bute
 1,820
 1,850
 1,900
 1,930
 2,000
 2,010
 2,090
 2,150


 Clackmannanshire
 1,400
 1,450
 1,490
 1,540
 1,580
 1,640
 1,700
 1,750


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2,910
 2,970
 3,050
 3,100
 3,180
 3,260
 3,340
 3,410


 Dundee City
 5,340
 5,370
 5,400
 5,440
 5,460
 5,510
 5,540
 5,550


 East Ayrshire
 2,990
 3,040
 3,120
 3,160
 3,230
 3,290
 3,350
 3,410


 East Dunbartonshire
 1,840
 1,910
 1,940
 1,950
 1,980
 2,020
 2,060
 2,100


 East Lothian
 1,940
 2,030
 2,090
 2,160
 2,220
 2,280
 2,360
 2,420


 East Renfrewshire
 1,490
 1,550
 1,600
 1,640
 1,670
 1,710
 1,740
 1,790


 Edinburgh, City of
 10,020
 10,210
 10,380
 10,490
 10,610
 10,780
 11,020
 11,260


 Eilean Siar
 430
 440
 450
 460
 470
 490
 500
 510


 Falkirk
 3,780
 3,900
 4,040
 4,170
 4,320
 4,490
 4,630
 4,780


 Fife
 8,940
 9,250
 9,560
 9,800
 10,050
 10,330
 10,670
 10,980


 Glasgow City
 24,180
 24,440
 25,190
 25,580
 25,990
 26,590
 27,160
 27,700


 Highland
 4,450
 4,560
 4,660
 4,750
 4,850
 4,980
 5,140
 5,260


 Inverclyde
 2,710
 2,760
 2,800
 2,820
 2,840
 2,890
 2,910
 2,930


 Midlothian
 2,010
 2,100
 2,160
 2,210
 2,270
 2,320
 2,380
 2,430


 Moray
 1,140
 1,140
 1,140
 1,130
 1,130
 1,120
 1,130
 1,140


 North Ayrshire
 4,450
 4,540
 4,630
 4,650
 4,660
 4,850
 4,990
 5,090


 North Lanarkshire
 9,510
 9,810
 10,140
 10,470
 10,780
 11,100
 11,450
 11,730


 Orkney Islands
 280
 280
 290
 290
 290
 300
 310
 310


 Perth and Kinross
 2,630
 2,700
 2,750
 2,810
 2,890
 2,980
 3,070
 3,150


 Renfrewshire
 5,000
 5,100
 5,190
 5,290
 5,400
 5,450
 5,540
 5,600


 Scottish Borders
 1,900
 1,970
 2,030
 2,090
 2,140
 2,190
 2,250
 2,300


 Shetland Islands
 430
 440
 450
 460
 470
 480
 500
 510


 South Ayrshire
 2,450
 2,510
 2,580
 2,630
 2,690
 2,750
 2,820
 2,880


 South Lanarkshire
 7,790
 8,040
 8,290
 8,490
 8,710
 8,980
 9,280
 9,570


 Stirling
 1,790
 1,850
 1,880
 1,910
 1,950
 1,970
 2,000
 2,020


 West Dunbartonshire
 3,420
 3,450
 3,480
 3,490
 3,500
 3,520
 3,580
 3,620


 West Lothian
 4,020
 4,220
 4,390
 4,540
 4,690
 4,850
 5,030
 5,200


 Scotland
 133,130
 136,180
 139,580
 142,140
 144,960
 148,350
 152,040
 155,230



  Notes:

  1. Source: General Register Office for Scotland household estimates and projections.

  2. These figures are estimates, based on changes in the total population and trends in household formation.

  3. These figures show the number of households containing one adult and one or more children. Information on all lone parent families, for 2001 alone, is available from Census Table UV65 (www.scrol.gov.uk).

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many posts in prisons at (a) governor or (b) deputy governor level are occupied on a (i) permanent or (ii) temporary basis by personnel who have not met the internal Scottish Prison Service competence level for that post.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I am content that all governors and deputy governors in post are competent to carry out their duties.

Prison Service

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure staff safety in the Scottish Prison Service.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS aims to ensure the safety of staff in a range of ways including:

  ensuring the prison estate is fit for purpose in the 21st century;

  the provision of staff alarms in prisons and personal alarms where necessary;

  alarm response teams to ensure support is available in the event of incidents;

  national training in the contact and restraint of prisoners, and

  well developed health and safety policies, including a National Health and Safety Forum, involving senior staff and trade unions.

  In addition, a violence reduction project will be rolled out early in 2007.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the act came into force, in each category.

George Lyon: The Financial Memorandum to the bill is available on the Parliament’s website. The only quantifiable costs arising from provisions in the bill relate to the operation of the office of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. These costs are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.

Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the effectiveness of fuel additives in reducing emissions from vehicles and what evaluation it has made of such research.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has not undertaken any research into the effectiveness of fuel additives in reducing vehicle emissions.

  We continue to work with the Department for Transport on the UK-wide Powering Future Vehicles strategy, which aims to promote new vehicle technologies and fuels - technology which could lead to significant reductions in vehicle emissions.